Quantum Materials - 02

Abstract

The rise of materials informatics and its ability to predict material properties through computational modeling has spurred a demand for robust experimental validation. Automation using robots has emerged as a promising approach to expedite this validation process. Recent advancements in robotic systems for material synthesis have been documented in diverse areas, including liquid-phase materials[1], thin-film[2], and solid-state synthesis[3]. This work reports the development of an automated arc-melting system (Figure 1) for the synthesis of alloys and demonstrates its successful application in the production of several superconducting samples. The process begins by initiating the arc on Zr stored as an oxygen trap (Figure 2), followed by its migration towards the raw material mixture. After cooling, the material is flipped and re-melted for ensuring the reaction and the homogeneity of the product. Despite the apparent simplicity of the process, numerous parameters can be optimized, including discharge power and distance, approach speed, arc radius, and the number of melting cycles. Leveraging the system, we have successfully synthesized several samples, demonstrating its potential for high-throughput and reproducible production of superconducting alloys.